A DVD is dropped from rest. The DVD does not reach terminal velocity before it hits the ground. Explain how the acceleration of the DVD varies from the instant it is dropped until just before it hits the ground.
In the instant when the DVD is dropped, it will have an acceleration of g, with no drag force acting on it as it is not moving. As the DVD accelerates downwards, the drag force acting on it increases and so the magnitude of the net force downwards decreases, decreasing its acceleration. The DVD does not reach terminal velocity, so in the instant before it hits the ground, it will still be accelerating downwards.
DH
Related Physics A Level answers
All answers ▸the moon takes 27.3 days (2.36x10^6s) to orbit the earth . Calculate its distance from the earth . Take the mass of the earth to be 5.975x10^24kg.
On the line of centres between the Earth and the Moon, there is a point where the net gravitational force is zero. Given that the distance between the two is 385,000 km, and that the Earth has a mass 81x that of the Moon, how far is this point from Earth?
How do stars form?
Newton's Law of Gravitation states: F=GMm/r^2, where G is the gravitational constant (6.67×10−11m^3kg^−1s^−2). Kepler's Third Law, states t^2=kR^3. The mass of the sun is 1.99x10^30kg. Find the value of k and its units